dwayne wrote:This is the ONLY thing bothering me about the 'R'. If that was not an issue though, I'm pretty sure I'd look for something else to piss me off. Maybe the seat??
Dwayne, don't get me started on that seat...
Oil, interestingly the manual doesn't mention the sidestand trick. Only to do the check with a hot (15-20min riding) engine and to wait at least 5 minutes before checking with the bike on level ground on the centre stand...OMG. I reckon so long as you are consistent in how you do your check you'll be OK.
Yow about the audible level check. Paint out the oil window and just ride till it till it sounds like it needs oil? What the hell is wrong with a disptick BM!!!!!!!!
The way the coolers are piped, I don't believe you are ever going to drain the right cooler without unhooking the pipe from the bottom of it. It would have to drain back through the thermostat and the oil pump. The left cooler is hooked to the return so some could eventually gurgle out of it and back into the sump. This would be made easier by it being on the sidestand. Aside from hot oil flowing more easily, it may help that the thermostat is still open as it may somewhat relieve the vacuum holding the fluid column up. I think the 5 minutes thing is a minimum to be sure that the oil has finished draining. After 5 minutes it should stop rising and the difference in checking it after five and after ten should be nil. There is a bit of time requiired after hoisting it up on the centerstand for some oil to seep in from wherever it went to hide. After that short time, it should remain where it is. The expansion difference hot to cold isn't going to make enough difference to see. My usual SOP: Check hot, sidestand for five, up on centerstand, wait one or two, check. When I check mine this way and come back the next day (after leaving it on the centerstand) the oil is at the same level. - Lee
chris wrote:What the hell is wrong with a disptick BM!!!!!!!!
The Airheads had a dipstick. As I remember, they placed it in the one PITA place where you were guaranteed to burn your fingers trying to open the cap. The sight glass wouldn't be a problem if the level wasn't all over the place. You'd have the same dance to do prior to checking it with a stick. My Honda ST1100 had a sight glass. You hoisted it up on the centerstand and kneeled down and checked it. Just like that. I'm fine with the sight glass. Just do something about the inconsistent drainback.
>>i've checked the oil here and there before riding and have always been a bit uncomfortable with what i see (or don't see) in the window.<<
I had a similar problem when I first got my RR. I could see no meniscus in the sight glass, just a honey colored sight glass. Totally inexperienced iin reading this, I couldn't tell whether the sight glass was clear and I was seeing full-up oil, or, was the glass an amber color and it was totally empty?
I put it on the center stand, side-stand down, in Neutral, and while watching the sight glass my wife pressed the start button just enough to turn over the engine, but not to start.
As soon as the engine turned I could see the oil level drop in the (obviously now)clear sight glass. I was seeing full-up (overfill?) clean oil.
John
'09 SchwarzeBlanche DuBois Well, don't do that-Hippocrates
dwayne wrote:...after sidestanding for 3 minutes then on the center stand, the oil is right dead centre of the sight glass.
perfect!
Finally.
I wonder what it will read now that it has sit for an hour? BRB.
Now it is a quarter way up the site glass, after sitting on the sidestand for just over an hour. So, as was mentioned; as the oil cools it thickens thus appearing to be less then what there really is.
'05 R 1150 R Dark Ferro, with blacked out motor Member # 507
